https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/gaa.ie/robert-emmetts2018-02-22T04:57:45.288ZPosts of Club NewsGoogle Sites1https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/gaa.ie/robert-emmetts/22252263051986011492017-01-13T08:31:24.989Z2018-02-20T23:01:47.353Z2018-02-20T23:01:44.218ZClub Notes January 2017

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Robert Emmetts Club Notes January 2017

Review of the year

2016 proved to be a year to remember for the club. When we got back training early in the year we did so with the confidence of being the defending London champions, but also knowing that every other team would do their best to take that title from us. We welcomed some new players into our ranks and, for the first time in a few years, fielded a team in the intermediate grade as well as our seniors. We moved to Colindale for training as Greenford underwent preparation to host the main summer matches while the Ruislip redevelopment was underway. Kevin McMullan and Mark Traynor were able to call on most of the 2015 panel but also had to contend with injuries to some key players early in the year.

Both senior and intermediate teams got off to flying starts, enjoying wins over Cú Chulainns and Kilburn, respectively. As the cup and league competitions heated up our intermediates had further excellent wins over St Declan's and Granuaile in addition to an exciting rematch with Kilburn that went right to the wire. However, when championship arrived in the summer we were unfortunately unable to overcome Thomas McCurtains and eventual winners Fr Murphys, and exited the competition in the group stages.

The seniors couldn't have asked for a better start to the year and went on a long unbeaten run that stretched all the way into August. This saw us qualify for finals in both the Ryan and Collins Cups, as well as keeping us top of the Division 1 League. However, we were conscious of the fact that these results would soon be forgotten if we lost our championship crown. Our rivals St Gabriel's and Kilburn were nipping at our heels and Sean Treacys were putting in consistently strong performances and would be a danger. We were soon brought down to earth when St Gabriel's put four goals past us in Round 2 of the SHC in East Lane to beat us by 11 points. This seemed to be the wake-up call we needed though, and the lads responded by closing out the rest of the group games with victories over Cú Chulainns, Fulham Irish and a battling win over Kilburn Gaels to secure a semi-final spot against Sean Treacys. Our forwards were on fire in the semi-final as we scored six goals to win and set up a rematch with St Gabriel's in the final.

The final itself proved to be a tense and stop-start affair and we had Eoin Chawke and Tomás Lawrence to thank for keeping our scoreboard ticking over early in the first half. St Gabriel's were taking their points well, but two excellent goals - one from Daryl Roberts after a massive Padge Buckley free, the other from Eoin Chawke after an assist from Richie Murphy - meant we kept our noses in front at the break. In the second half, with the wind at our backs, we managed to settle a bit more and the points soon started to come. Eoin and Daryl got a couple of early points while Denis O'Regan drove one over from centre field to give us some breathing space. Our backs were putting in an excellent performance with Steven Griffey, Paul Horkan and captain Tadhg Healy in particular leading by example. St Gabriel's did manage to steal a goal back late in the half, but we kept our cool as Cathal Kehoe and Kieran Morrissey knocked over instant replies and ensure that Tadhg lifted the Harrell Cup.

Finally, in a hectic finish to the London hurling year, we added both cups and the league title to our collection and cap a fantastic year.

Congratulations

We were very proud as a club to see our own Fergus McMahon lead the London hurlers into action as manager for another season. The team performed very consistently in the league and had a notable victories over Carlow, Derry and Antrim. While London eventually lost out on a place in the semi-final of the Christy Ring Cup, we can also be proud of the fact that another Emmetts man, Tomás Lawrence, was subsequently named on the team of the tournament for the quality of his performances. Finally, well done to Mick O'Dea, who refereed the intermediate championship final between Brothers Pearse and Fr Murphys and did an excellent job in a very exciting and closely-contested game.

Thank You

Robert Emmetts GAA Club would like to sincerely thank all of those who supported us in 2016, whether through direct sponsorship or taking part in one of our fundraising events. We are particularly grateful to our main sponsors, Ampsail Ltd., who came on board at the start of the year. We are also extremely thankful to have had the support of Kelly Communications, Brogan Group and Champion Build.

All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship

We are just a couple of weeks into 2017 but we already have the luxury of looking forward to an All-Ireland quarter final against Ulster champions St Brigids, of Cloughmills, Co. Antrim. It will be a huge task for us as St Brigids have stormed through their county and provincial championships to get to this stage. However, our management team have left no stone unturned and the lads have responded with great enthusiasm for the challenge by working particularly hard over the winter months. Come along and support us in Greenford on the 14th (throw-in is 1 pm)!

Robert Emmetts PROpro.robert.emmetts@gmail.comclubnotesjanuary20174https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/gaa.ie/robert-emmetts/85965196353405488222016-07-29T00:00:43.448Z2016-07-29T00:01:14.871Z2016-07-29T00:01:14.871ZGolf Day 2016

Our fund-raising Golf Day was held in Radlett Park on June 4th and was a great success, raising over £5,000 for the club. Read the full report here.

We open the defence of our championship crown this coming weekend with a preliminary round match against Cú Chulainns. Our management team will be keen to try out some fresh ideas and introduce some new members, so come along and support the lads as we start out on another SHC adventure!

Our annual general meeting for 2016 will take place at 8 pm on Wednesday, January 20th at the Tír Chonaill Gaels clubhouse in Greenford (UB6 0NZ). All members are urged to attend. We would also encourage non-members with an interest in joining to come along and learn about what we have planned for the year ahead.

Robert Emmetts PROpro.robert.emmetts@gmail.comrobertemmettsagm20162https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/gaa.ie/robert-emmetts/24869503520166604582015-11-16T14:49:54.003Z2015-11-16T14:50:07.830Z2015-11-16T14:50:07.829ZAll-Ireland Series

Our London SHC final win over St Gabriels now takes us into the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championships, where we will face Abbeyknockmoy of Galway. Our opponents, who have already come through a tough Galway championship, will represent the toughest challenge we have yet to face this year. They will make the trip across to Ruislip also on the back of a hard-fought win over Four Roads of Roscommon in the Connacht final so we will have to find another gear if we are to match them. The entire panel and backroom team have been preparing well in recent weeks, despite the uncooperative weather, and have been encouraged by messages of support coming in from family, friends and past club members in London, at home, and around the globe. We will need all of this support this coming weekend as we hope to make it another day to remember in Ruislip!

It started as a dark, foggy Sunday in Ruislip but by early afternoon the sun had blazed through, setting the stage for an equally glorious performance from our hurlers. Picking up where they left off in the semi-final our lads showed heart, pride and a steely determination that could not be overcome. From the moment the ball was thrown in they tore into their opponents, hassling, blocking and frustrating them at every turn. At the back we were tigerish and dogged, holding a talented St Gabriels forward line to just four points in the first half, while our own attackers kept up a relentless workrate that resulted in scores or forced a free. Our midfield duo of Mícheál Ó Laochdha and Tadhg Healy were tireless, fielding primary possession, putting their bodies on the line and winning even the scrappiest of tussles to ensure we were always on the front foot. We set the tone early on, hunting in packs, and scored first through an Eoin Chawke free, rifled over from the right wing after Tadhg Healy had won possession in big collision. Seán Ryan came out from his goal a few minutes later to launch a booming free from well within our own half to add to the tally. Despite being pegged back a few minutes later we were creating lots of chances through the pressure we were exerting, which eventually resulted in a pinpoint crossfield ball finding Martin Fitzpatrick on the edge of the square. Our captain made no mistake and rattled the net. We continued to press and by the time we reached the half-time mark another two goals had been added, the final one from a long-range Eoin Chawke free. However on the stroke of half-time we were dealt a hammer-blow as Martin Fitzpatrick suffered a serious knee injury and had to be carried from the field.

Our captain had been leading by example, acting as the focal point of our attack and taking the game to the Gabriels. There was no panic though, and Kevin McMullan sprung Mick O'Dwyer from the bench, who immediately started causing headaches for the St Gabriels defence. Our workrate was still paying dividends as we were still enjoying the majority of possession around the middle third, which gave our threatening forwards the chance to attack at every opportunity. Carlowmen Denis O'Regan and Daryl Roberts were proving to be a real handful in the corners, giving their markers no option but to give away frees, which were gratefully slotted over by Eoin Chawke allowing us to stretch our lead to 10 with just over 15 minutes remaining. Rory Costello was a constant threat, first on the edge of the square and then out to the half-forward line winning the ball and delivering to his teammates inside. Cathal Keogh was typically aggressive and hungry for the ball, timing his run perfectly to collect a pass from Daryl and slot over the bar. St Gabriels did manage to break through for a well-taken goal, but we refused to panic, and replied immediately as Eoin lofted over an excellent point from play from the right sideline. As the clock passed the 20-minute mark St Gabriels piled on the pressure, dropping a series of high balls into our goalmouth. Inevitably though, it was an Emmetts man who emerged every time. Our full back line were aggressive but level-headed and cool in their clearances and distribution. Paul Horkan was calmness personified, dealing with several dangerous one-on-one situations expertly, while his corner-men Mark Conroy and Steven Griffey snuffed out the threat of their dangerous opponents and delivered relieving clearances every time. Fergus McMahon was showing all his experience at centre-back, reading the play brilliantly and linking up fluently with his midfield. He also showed tremendous athleticism in giving an exhibition of high fielding and perfect first touch in tight situations. Paddy Breen and Seán Finn on the wings delivered the high-tempo performances that we've come to expect from them, making light work of the blinding low sun and skilfully hooking and blocking their opponents in a display of controlled aggression. As the timer wound agonisingly slowly towards the hour mark the gap had been reduced to six. The Gabriels men poured forward searching for a goal to puncture our confidence. It wasn't to be though - instead, in a cameo of our entire team's display, midfielder Tadhg Healy sprinted from out from our own 21 to meet an onrushing goal-bound St Gabriels forward with a thunderous shoulder-to-shoulder challenge. The ball was spilled and cleared, raising a roar from the Emmetts supporters and neutrals alike. There was time to exchange two more pointed frees, but moments later referee Brian Barrett raised his hand and called for the ball from Seán Ryan, sending the Emmetts lads into raptures.

It was a great day to be an Emmetts supporter and the victory seemed all the sweeter for the hard work we had to put in to earn it. At the start of the year few in London would have even considered us as contenders but, thanks to the dedication of our manager Kevin McMullan and selectors Mark Traynor and Denis Costello, this band of brothers grew in confidence and yesterday in Ruislip showed how much they were willing to give for each other. A massive cheer went up as Martin Fitzpatrick emerged onto the balcony of the clubhouse who, in lifting the trophy, dedicated the win to our chairman Tom Redmond in recognition of his decades of service to the club. The celebrations will be enjoyed but Kevin is sure to bring the lads back to earth as we return to the training pitch to prepare for an All-Ireland campaign - territory he is only too familiar with.

Emmetts abú!

Robert Emmetts PROpro.robert.emmetts@gmail.comrobertemmettslondonseniorhurlingchampions20152https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/gaa.ie/robert-emmetts/23570177354591267312015-10-29T11:52:41.989Z2015-10-29T11:54:18.716Z2015-10-29T11:54:18.715ZHurlers In SHC Final

A year of hard work by our committed squad and management team has finally led us to the showpiece day of London hurling. Our narrow victory over Kilburn Gaels in the semi-final has set us up for a showdown with St Gabriels in the championship final. Our opposition have already engaged us in several close battles this year, in league, championship and cup ties, with no more than a few points between us over four meetings. St Gabriels have already shown their credentials by recently winning the league title, so we know that we must produce our best performance if we are to be in with a chance of upsetting them. We hope that our supporters will be in full voice this weekend, shouting on the lads, and that belief, hunger, determination and confidence in our own hurling ability will see us through.

On Saturday 17th of October we faced 2014 champions Kilburn Gaels in the London SHC semi-final in Ruislip. Playing with the wind at our backs in the first half we held a three point advantage at half time, 1-7 to 0-7, with Eoin Chawke's quick-fire goal the only difference between us. Facing into the breeze in the second half there was little between the sides as we managed to keep our noses in front. However Kilburn hit a purple patch midway through the half, reeling in our lead before pushing three ahead on the 50 minute mark. It seemed like our hopes were fading as the same cushion remained with less than five minutes left. We refused to give up however, and our patience was rewarded when Daryl Roberts gathered possession out on the wing, beat several defenders and rattled the Kilburn net. In almost the next play Mick O'Dwyer latched onto a ball on the right and rifled the sliotar between the posts to put us one ahead with time just up. What followed was a long period of added time during which our defence had to withstand a continuous Kilburn onslaught. Due to a combination of spirited and disciplined defending we managed to hold on to our slender advantage over those last tense minutes. As the clock ticked past the 67-minute mark a long-range Kilburn free was lofted into our incredibly crowded goalmouth. However it was inspirational midfielder Tadhg Healy who rose highest, fielding the sliotar above the thicket of hurleys, before clearing to the wing. The final whistle then sounded, to the great joy of our supporters. It was a display of great heart and determination against a very strong Kilburn team, of which we can be proud. However our attention turns immediately to the training pitch and our preparations for the final. Our opposition, St Gabriels, have already shown their quality by winning the league title this year, so we must show even greater heart and skill if we are to capture the ultimate prize in London in 2015.

Robert Emmetts PROpro.robert.emmetts@gmail.comshcsemi-finalkilburngaels2https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/gaa.ie/robert-emmetts/20129989609926200022015-10-15T08:51:04.086Z2015-10-15T08:51:54.358Z2015-10-15T08:51:54.357ZNew Club Gear

Our senior hurlers will be well kitted-out for championship days in Ruislip after being recently presented with a new set of club polo shirts. The shirts were generously sponsored by Paddy Mooney, Painter and Decorator, of Cushendall, Co. Antrim and were presented to players and management in Greenford this week. Pictured above following the presentation are, from left to right, player Padraig McMullan, manager Kevin McMullan and selector Denis Costello. The club would like to extend its sincere gratitude to Mr Mooney and hope that we can repay his support by putting in a big performance on the field this weekend.

Robert Emmetts PROpro.robert.emmetts@gmail.comnewclubgear2https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/gaa.ie/robert-emmetts/75981246157626097742015-10-13T09:40:51.904Z2015-10-13T09:40:51.907Z2015-10-13T09:40:51.900ZBiggest Test for the Hurlers

This coming Saturday our hurlers face their biggest test of the year so far when they face up to Kilburn Gaels in the semi-final of the London senior hurling championship. Kilburn, the defending champions, have shown that they are still the team to beat in the city and can boast several county players throughout their ranks. Despite our good recent win in the Ryan Cup manager Kevin McMullan has been drilling into the lads that the SHC is a different matter, and that nothing less than our absolute best will be good enough to win. If we can produce our best hurling a tremendous battle is in store this weekend in Ruislip. Make sure all Emmetts supporters come out and shout on the lads this Saturday, throw-in is at 16:30 in Ruislip. Emmetts abú!

Robert Emmetts PROpro.robert.emmetts@gmail.combiggesttestforthehurlers1https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/gaa.ie/robert-emmetts/20503558703924387672015-10-13T09:30:30.761Z2015-10-13T09:30:30.763Z2015-10-13T09:30:30.757ZHurlers in Ryan Cup Final

On Saturday last, October 10th, our senior hurlers took to the field against St Gabriels in the semi-final of the Ryan Cup. The match was played in dry, but blustery, conditions in St Gabriels own pitch at East Lane, North Wembley and the hosts showed that they meant business in a particularly strong first half display. Having exchanged a few early points from a couple of Eoin Chawke frees and a Daryl Roberts score, we were at 3 points all after ten minutes. Our opponents were winning a lot of possession though and we had our backs to thank for keeping danger at bay early on. Somewhat against the run of play we managed to get a goal when Rory Costello's bullet of a shot was well saved, only for the rebound to be whipped in. The Gabriels pressure soon began to tell though, and they replied in kind within a minute, and went on a scoring spree to race six clear over the following ten minutes. We held on and kept working hard and by the end of the half had managed to claw back the deficit to just two. The second half brought about a big improvement from our lads and, with a few positional switches by manager Kevin McMullan, we began to dominate in midfield and in our half-back line. The forwards were picking up much better quality ball and the scores started to flow - Tadhg Healy, Cathal Keogh and Rory Costello all got on the mark. At the back Paul Horkan kept things tight in the full back line, while Fergus McMahon read the play perfectly from centre-back. As the half wore on we were rewarded with two goals, including a nice team effort finished by Eoin Chawke. When the full-time whistle sounded we had emerged the victors on a 3-15 to 1-13 scoreline. Overall it was a very good performance from our lads and was a very satisfying win over our rivals, who had denied us in our last two meetings. However both teams know that the biggest prize of the year is still to play for - we face Kilburn Gaels in the SHC semi-final on Saturday the 17th.

Congratulations to Galway man Alan Smyth, a member of the Granuaile club, who was the lucky winner of two All Ireland hurling final tickets in our raffle on Sunday night. Hope you enjoy the match, Alan!

The Robert Emmetts club would like to sincerely thank all of those who bought tickets for the raffle - your support is very much appreciated and is invaluable. Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.

The club are holding a raffle for two tickets to the 2015 All-Ireland hurling final in Croke Park. The draw will take place on August 30th in the Man of Aran pub, Rayners Lane, at 9 pm and tickets are £20 each.

Congratulations to the senior hurlers who enjoyed an excellent victory over Seán Treacys in the championship yesterday. The lads bagged five goals and put in a tremendous defensive display to limit the opposition's attack to just five points. That win puts us in a great position in the championship table with the final round of games still to be played. The lads can now enjoy a well-earned break before R5, which is due to be played on September 12th, and concentrate on the training field in the meantime. Great credit is due to Kevin, Mark, Denis and Fergus for having the lads so well-prepared and for developing the strong squad that we saw in Ruislip yesterday.

The penultimate stage of the group phase of this year's senior hurling championship sees us face off against Seán Treacys. Having had a good win last time out in Round 3 our lads will have a built a bit of confidence and will have learned a lot from that match. However we know that we will still have to improve in several areas if we are to beat the Treacys, who have proven to be tough championship opponents for us down through the years.

Researchers at the University of St Mary’s, Twickenham are inviting participants for a new fitness study. They are interested in looking at the effects of vascular occlusion on repeated sprint performance in trained team-sport athletes and in return are offering FREE athlete profiles. This offer is only available during the summer and places are running out quickly.

Vascular occlusion has shown to have beneficial effects on aerobic performance and we are interested in seeing such effects on an anaerobic/aerobic repeated sprint protocol.

The study would require you attend St Mary’s University to complete the following:

Baseline testing VO2max and familiarisation (45 minutes)

4 trials using different types of vascular occlusion at different pressures prior completion of repeated sprint test (75 minutes). Separated by 5-7 days

This testing can be completed individually or even as groups 2-4. Testing can be completed at ANYTIME to suit around your schedule, be it during the week before or after work, during the day, and even weekend! The trials are of minimal loading and will not produce fatigue, so can be completed before training/ exercise days.

By completing this study, you will firstly learn about the benefits of vascular occlusion on repeated sprint performance/ your sports performance, a key attribute to your teams sport. Furthermore your athlete profile WILL contain:

VO2max

Repeated sprint ability

Fatigue index (ability to withstand fatigue from repeated sprint)

Maximal sprint performance (30m)

Anthropometrical data (body fat%)

This data can be great indicators of fitness and can be used for training programmes design. In addition, repeated sprint trials can be a good warm-up for conditioning work and prepare you well in your sport.

A detailed information sheet on the study can be downloaded from the link at the end of this page.

Our lads will have the opportunity to atone for the recent narrow league defeat this coming weekend when taking on St. Gabriels in the Senior Hurling Championship. Another closely-fought battle is in store against one of the favourites for this year's title. Throw-in is at 18:00 in Ruislip, this Sunday (9th August). Emmetts abú!

Robert Emmetts PROpro.robert.emmetts@gmail.comchampionship20151https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/gaa.ie/robert-emmetts/80432558706421473392015-07-23T09:47:11.165Z2015-07-23T09:47:11.170Z2015-07-23T09:47:11.158ZSenior Hurling League 2015

This Thursday the lads take on St Gabriels in the final round of the league. Having suffered only one defeat so far our lads know that victory would take them into the final. Best of luck lads!

Throw-in: 19:30, 23/7/2015

Venue: Vale Farm Sports Ground, East Lane, HA0 3LE

Robert Emmetts PROpro.robert.emmetts@gmail.comseniorhurlingleague2015-11https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/gaa.ie/robert-emmetts/58532832116327337742015-06-09T17:50:07.905Z2015-07-23T09:43:56.726Z2015-06-29T14:58:27.535ZSenior Hurling League 2015

This weekend we take on Cú Chulainns on Sunday, July 5th, in Round 4 of the Hurling League Division 1. Throw-in is at 13:00 in Ruislip.

Well done to our senior hurlers who captured the Collins Cup on Tuesday evening (23rd June), beating Brothers Pearse on a scoreline of 0-13 to 0-8 in Ruislip. The team has been progressing and preparing well over the last couple of months and great credit must go to Kevin McMullan, along with Mark Traynor and Fergus McMahon, for having the lads sharp on the night. Captain Martin Fitzpatrick, who led by example as usual collected the cup on a great night for the club. It's great to have some silverware in the Robert Emmetts trophy cabinet at this time of the year - hopefully it's just the first of many this year. Emmetts abú!

A very happy new year to all players, mentors and supporters from the Robert Emmetts club.

The 2015 season is almost upon us, with preliminary championship rounds to be played at the end of January. All players are asked to attend a meeting in Wembley on Jan. 23rd. Please contact Fergus McMahon for details.

Our senior hurling team built on the R3 win to beat Fr Murphy's by 4 points on Sunday last (29th June) in Round 4 of the SHC. A good team performance overall with some well-worked scores and brave defending gives us a real boost heading into our final round match. Final score: Robert Emmetts 2-13 Fr Murphy's 1-12.